Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
287
Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B,, and C and they represent the tire's abil-
ity to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning!
The traction grade assigned to this is based
on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests
and does not include cornering (turned) trac-
tion, acceleration, hydroplaning or peak
traction characteristics.Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and
C, representing the tire's resistance to the gener-
ation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperatures can cause the mate-
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform-
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un-
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of per-
formance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning!
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded.Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading, either separately
or in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
288
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Tire pressures
Danger!
Risk of accident.
Risk of serious personal injury or death.
Driving the vehicle with low tire pressure
increases risk of a tire failure and resulting
loss of control. Furthermore, low tire pres-
sure increases rate of wear of the affected
tires and cause damage. Always use an
accurate tire pressure gauge when checking
inflation pressures.
fDo not exceed the maximum tire pressure
listed on the tire sidewall. (Also refer to “Tech-
nical data“).
fCold tire inflation pressure means: all tires
must be cold, ambient temperature maximum
68°F (20°C), when adjusting the inflation pres-
sure. Avoid sunlight striking the tires before
measuring cold pressures, since the pressures
would rise from temperature influence.
fValve caps protect the valve from dust and dirt,
and thus from leakage. Always screw caps
tightly down. Replace missing caps immedi-
ately.
fFor safety reasons, don't use tire inflating bot-tles.
fPlease observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSU-
RES, COLD” on Page 370.Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should
be checked every 2 weeks when cold (68°F/20°C)
and inflated to the inflation pressure recommend-
ed in this Owner's Manual or on the tire-pressure
plate.
If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated in this Owner's Manual or on the tire-
pressure plate, you should determine the proper
tire inflation pressure for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring that illu-
minates a low tire pressure message when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure message
illuminates, you should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inflate them to the prop-
er pressure. Driving on a significantly under-inflat-
ed tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the tire pressure monitoring is not
a substitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached
the level to trigger illumination of the tire pressure
monitoring low tire pressure message.
For further information on the tire pressure moni-
toring:
fPlease observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSURE”
on Page 100.When tires are warm, the tire pressure is in-
creased.
fNever let air out of hot tires. This could cause
the tire pressure to fall below the prescribed
value.
Insufficient tire pressure can cause tires to
overheat and thus be damaged – even invisibly.
Hidden tire damage is not eliminated by subse-
quently correcting the tire pressure.
Overloading
Danger!
Risk of personal injury, loss of control and
damage to vehicle parts.
fDo not overload your vehicle. Be careful about
the roof load.
fIf loading the vehicle also correct the tire pres-
sure. Tire pressure for loaded vehicle can be
found on the tire pressure plate and in the
chapter technical data.
fNever exceed the specified axle load.
Overloading can shorten the service life of the
tires and car, as well as lead to dangerous vehi-
cle reactions and long braking distances.
Damage due to overloading is not covered by the vehicle warranty.
fPlease observe the chapter “LOADING INFOR-
MATION” on Page 207.
292
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Tire replacementsfUse only tire makes and types tested by
Porsche.
Only tires with the same manufacturer and
with the same specification code (e.g. “N0“,
“N1“...) should be mounted on the vehicle.
Tires should be replaced no less than on one axle
at the time. Only tires of the same make and type
must be used. Mixed tires are not permissible and
will affect vehicle performance, safety, and can
affect vehicle warranty.
Porsche dealers can recommend the most current
replacement tire options for your vehicle.
Initially, new tires do not have their full traction.
You should therefore drive at moderate speeds
during the first 60 - 120 miles (100 - 200 km).Tires should be replaced no less than on one axle
at the time. Only tires of the same make and type
must be used. Mixed tires are not permissible.
Initially, new tires do not have their full traction.
You should therefore drive at moderate speeds
during the first 60 - 120 miles (100 - 200 km).
If new tires are installed only on one axle, a notice-
able change in handling occurs due to the different
tread depth of the other tires. This happens espe-
cially if only rear tires are replaced. However, this
condition disappears as the new tires are broken
in.
fPlease adjust your driving style accordingly.
Installation of new tires should only be done by a
qualified tire technician.
Valves
fUse only plastic valve caps.
fThe rubber valves must be replaced whenever
the tires are changed.
fThe fitting and replacement specifications
must be observed for metal valves.
fOnly use Original Porsche metal valves.
fProtect the valve inserts against soiling with
valve caps.
Soiled valve inserts can cause a gradual loss
of air.
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Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Removing and storing tiresfAfter changing, adjust tire pressure and torque
wheel bolts diagonally.
Please observe the chapter “CHANGING
WHEELS” on Page 303.
Tires must always remain on the same side of
the vehicle.
When wheels are removed, the direction of rota-
tion and position of each wheel should be marked.
Example
FR (front right), FL, RR and RL.
Wheels must always be fitted in accordance with
their marking.
The perception that tire durability and perform-
ance are not affected by storage and age is un-
founded.
Chemical additives, which make the rubber elas-
tic, lose their effectiveness over the course of
time and the rubber becomes brittle and cracks.
Therefore, the tires, especially the spare tire,
should be inspected from time to time.Note
Under no circumstances should tires older than
6 years be used on your Porsche.
The age of the tire can be obtained from the “DOT“
code number. If, for example, the last three num-
bers read 1202, then the tire was produced in the
12th week of 2002.
fStore tires in a cool and dry place.
fRotate periodically to avoid flat spots.
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
313
Collapsible spare wheelThe collapsible spare wheel is fastened under the
floor in the luggage compartment.
On vehicles with 17 mm spacers:
fBefore fitting a collapsible spare wheel on the
rear axle always remove the corresponding
spacer.
For information on the spacers: Please
observe the chapter “SPACERS” on Page 302.
For information about removing the spacers:
Please observe the chapter “CHANGING A
WHEEL WITH REMOVAL OF 17 MM SPACER”
on Page 311.
1. Take out rotary knob A and put it on bolt B.
2. Unscrew the screw and take out the collapsible
spare wheel.
3. Mount the collapsible spare wheel on the vehi-
cle before inflating it. Leave the car jacked up.
Please observe the chapter “LIFTING THE VE-
HICLE WITH A JACK” on Page 307.
4. Inflate the tire.
Please observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSU-
RES, COLD” on Page 370.
Warning!
Risk of accident.
fThe collapsible spare wheel must be used only
over short distances in cases of emergency.
For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the wear indicators appear (webs in the tire
grooves, 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) high).
fNever deactivate the Porsche Stability Man-
agement (PSM) system.
fAvoid hard acceleration and high cornering
speeds.
The maximum permitted speed is 50 mph
(80 km/h) and must not be exceeded be-
cause of altered driving characteristics and for
reasons of wear.
The tread depth of the spare wheel is subject
to the same laws as the original tires.
fDo not use a collapsible spare wheel from a
different vehicle type.
fDo not mount the collapsible spare wheel from
your car on a different vehicle.
fOnly fit one collapsible spare wheel on the ve-
hicle at a time.
fOn vehicles with air suspension, use the tire fill-
ing connection A only to inflate the collapsible
spare wheel.
fTo avoid damage, do not use automatic car washes when the spare wheel is installed.
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
321
Closing spare wheel bracket
Warning!
Danger of injury and risk of accident if the
spare wheel bracket is operated improperly.
fOperate the spare wheel bracket only using
button B.
fIf the vehicle is tilted to the side, more effort
will be required to swing the spare wheel
bracket.
fMake sure that no persons or animals are with-
in the range of movement of the spare wheel bracket.
1. Check whether additional lock C is engaged. If
necessary, slide additional lock C to the right.
2. Swing spare wheel bracket closed with force.
3. Check lock and observe indication on the multi-
purpose display of the instrument panel.
The indicator light must go out when the spare
wheel bracket is locked.
Automatic locking
In the multi-purpose display of the instrument pan-
el, you can set different variants of locking and un-
locking the doors and the rear lid as well as the
check-back signal when locking and unlocking the
vehicle and save them on the respective remote
control.
fPlease observe the chapter “TAILGATE” on
Page 117.
D- Towing lug cover (left)
E- Emergency release cableEmergency release for the spare wheel
bracketIf the battery is flat, the only way to open the spare
wheel bracket is by using the mechanical emer-
gency release.
Warning!
Danger of injury and risk of accident if the
spare wheel bracket is operated improperly.
fPerform emergency unlocking of the spare
wheel bracket only when the vehicle is on a lev-el surface.
1. Remove cover of left towing lug D.
2. Pull emergency release cable E in the direction
of the arrow.
The spare wheel bracket is now unlocked and
can be operated.
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
323
Changing fusesIn order to prevent damage to the electrical
system due to short circuits and overloads, the in-
dividual circuits are protected by fuses.
One fuse box is in the engine compartment. Two
additional fuse boxes are located in the outer ends
of the dashboard.
1. Switch off the consumer with the defective
fuse. Before replacing a fuse, switch off all
electrical consumers and remove the ignition
key.
2. Open the fuse-box lid.
3. Remove the corresponding fuse from its slot to
check it using the plastic gripper.
A blown fuse can be identified by the melted
metal strip.
4. Replace only with fuses of the same rating.
Note
If a fuse blows repeatedly, please consult an au-
thorized Porsche dealer immediately, so that the
short circuit can be located and corrected.
Never try to “repair“ fuses: you may cause serious
damage to other parts of the electrical system.
Cover of engine-compartment fuse boxOpening fuse-box lid in engine compartment
1. Rotate the turn-locks 90° anti-clockwise with a
screwdriver and remove the cover.
Fuse box in engine compartment2. Rotate the turn-locks of the fuse-box lid
90° anti-clockwise with a screwdriver and re-
move the lid.
f f f
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
359
Height adjustment for low beam/
high beam and additional high beam1. Push down cover in the engine compartment
and remove.
2. Switch ignition on.
3. Switch on low beam and/or high beam.
4. Adjust low beam in direction of the arrow.
Changing Headlights from Left to
Right-Hand TrafficIf you travel to a corresponding country where traf-
fic uses the other side of the road, the headlights
must be partially masked with films when you
cross the border.
fYou can obtain the films and a set of instruc-
tions from an authorized Porsche dealer.